Statement from Archbishop designate Mark Coleridge

April 2, 2012

At a time in life when many are looking to retire, I have been called to take up the greatest challenge of my life. With few illusions about myself or the task that awaits me in Queensland, but with trust in the Lord who sends me, I pack my bags and head north once again.

I am heartened that Pope Benedict and others have chosen me as Chief Pastor of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, and I am grateful to the Holy Father for the trust he has placed in me.

Until recently, I never imagined that I would be appointed Archbishop of Brisbane, following in the footsteps of some remarkable men. Faced now with the call, I feel the need for a strength not my own. I will do my best, but that will not be enough. Yet the Lord equips those whom he sends in ways they could never equip themselves.

Therefore, peacefully and without reserve I put my life in his hands and at the service of the Church in Brisbane and Queensland. That service will be a great privilege.

I am deeply grateful for the grace of my six years as Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn, and I will leave with unforgettable memories of people and places from Canberra to Bega, from West Wyalong to Cooma, from Gundagai to Goulburn and beyond. I will always be a small part of the Archdiocesan story, but the Archdiocese will always be a large part of my own story.

Until my installation in Brisbane on 11 May, I will remain the Archdiocesan Administrator. The Auxiliary Bishop will then assume that responsibility until the College of Consultors elects an Administrator who will be responsible for the affairs of the Archdiocese until my successor is installed.

Statements like this and rites of installation are easy enough. It is harder to do what a bishop must do at a complex time like this in the Church when the future must be made, not just awaited. I commit all my energies and gifts to that apostolic task in Brisbane, looking more than ever to the Lord of Easter, Jesus Christ crucified and risen.

Archbishop Mark Coleridge

April 2, 2012

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